On April 22, Mr. Gu Xiaojie, Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria and Representative to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), met in Abuja with Mr. Marcel Alain de Souza, new president of ECOWAS Commission, and exchanged views on China-ECOWAS relations.

Gu congratulated Souza on his assumption as president of ECOWAS Commission，and appreciated ECOWAS’s important role in maintaining peace and security, promoting economic development and regional integration in West Africa. In recent years, relations between China and ECOWAS have smoothly developed and mutually beneficial cooperation between two sides has broad prospects. China will actively promote the implementation of the outcomes of Johannesburg Summit of Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and focus on implementing 10 major China-Africa cooperation plans. China is willing to work with ECOWAS to further deepen pragmatic cooperation in various fields.

Souza thanked China for its valuable support to ECOWAS and the West African States, and expressed that ECOWAS is willing to make joint efforts with China to further strengthen cooperation in the area of infrastructure, interconnection, public health, peace and security and so on.